Accessory system



Nov. 3, 1936. E. c. HORTON 2,059,457

ACCESSORY SYSTEM Filed March 22, 1935 INVENTOR BY v z ATTo nt-ws I Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES ACCESSORY SYSTEM Erwin C. Horton, Hamburg, N. Y., assignor to Trico Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application March 22, 1935, Serial No. 12,523

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an accessory system for motor vehicles.

The present day automobile is found equipped with a windshield cleaner which is operated by the low pressure or suction influence maintaining in the intake manifold of the motor vehicle engine. This suction varies with a change in engine throttle position, and at times'is far in excess to that required for proper operation of the windshield cleaner, while at other times, as when the engine throttle is fully opened, the supply of suction is very meager. Of late other motor vehicle accessories have been devised for being operated by low pressure, and when these are in communication with the source of suction, the available pressure may be insuiiicient to operate satisfactorily both the windshield cleaner and such additional accessory. This is especially true when the source of pressure is limited inits supply, as is the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine.

Accessories vary in their importance. It is .an object of the present invention to provide an accessory system for motor vehicles (having two or more accessories) which will permit the more important one of the accessories to be maintained fully operative in preference to the other or secondary accessory.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary showing of a motor ,shown in Patent No. 1,565,493, granted December 15, 1925 to John R. Oishei and Erwin C. Horton. The numeral 3 indicates the source of pressure which may be positive or negative. Herein it is the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine 4, communication between.

the windshield cleaner motor 2 and the intake manifold being established by a conduit -5. For ease of description the windshield cleaner may be termed the primary or more importantac-' cessory. V

The numeral 6 designates another suction operated accessory of secondary importance and which may be in the form of a fan embodying a motor construction in accordance with Patent No. 1,745,114, granted January 28, 1930 to John R. Oishei and Henry Hueber. This fan may be disposed. at the rear side of the windshield I so as to direct its stream of air across the window surface for removing moisture therefrom. It is 5 obviously preferable to have the windshield cleaner operate rather than the secondary accessory when the suction influence from the manifold is low and insufficient to effectively operate both accessories concurrently. In cer- 10 tain kinds of weather a condition may arise wherein the operation of the fan may be preferred to the operation of the windshield cleaner and, therefore, it is not the intention to restrict the preferred accessory to the windshield cleaner 15 in the claims.

According to the present invention, means are provided for interrupting communication between the source of pressure 3 and the secondary accessory 6 when the available pressure is in- 20 sufficient to operate both accessories properly. This means as illustrated herein embodies an automatic valve 8 which is moved to an open position in response to a pressure'suflicient to operate both accessories in an eflicient manner. For this purpose there is provided a chamber 9 which is in communication with the suction passage 5 and provided with a movable wall In that is normally urged to a chamber enlarging position by a spring I l. The tension of this spring is adapted 30 to be counteracted by a predetermined low pressure or high degree of suction, in the presence of which the wall II) will move to a chamberen: smalling position and thereby disengage the valve 8 from its seat, being connected thereto by stem 35 12. The branch passage M to the secondary accessory is thus opened for the operation of the latter.

As the degree of available suction falls and the resistance to the urge of the spring ii is 40 diminished, the latter will move the wall "I to its chamber enlarging position and cause the valve 8 to engage its seat thereby closing the communication with the secondary accessory and placing, the entire source of pressure at the sole 45 command of the primary accessory.

The coupler casing l5, in which the chamber 9 is formed, has a passage l6 leading from the chamber to the main passage 5. One or more nipples "extend from the casing l5 for being 5p connected to a like number of windshield cleaners 'or other accessories, as by a hose I1.

For providing a more adequate supply of low pressure, a suction pump, generally indicated at I8, has its inlet side connected. to the passage 5 55 by a conduit i 9 and a T-coupling 20. The T- coupling is also connected to the intake manifold, suitable check valves 2i and 22 acting to close off either of the two sources of suction when deficient.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the primary accessory is always in constant communication with the source of suction and that the secondary accessory is in communication with such source only when the available pressure or suction is sufllcient to operate both accessories in an eflicient manner. a

What is claimed is:

1-. An accessory system for motor vehicles connected to a source of low pressure in the power plant thereof, wherein the rise-and fall in the pressure influence occurs incidental to vehicular operation, a primary suction operated accessory having constant communication with said source, a secondary suction operated accessory having intermittent communication with said source, and pressure responsive means operable for automatically establishing communication between the secondaryaccessory and the source when the pressure available therefrom is suiflcient to operate both accessories and for automatically closing such communication when the pressure infiuence is insuflicient to operate both accessories.

2. The combination with a motor vehicle power plant having a source of variable suction influence, wherein the suction influence varies incidental to vehicular operation, a primary suction operated accessory having a. constant communication with said source, and a secondary suction operated accessory also having communication with said source, of pressure responsive means for opening and closing the communication between said secondary accessory and said source erated accessory having communication with said source, a secondary suction operated accessory having communication with said source, a valve normally closing the communication between said secondary accessory and the source, and means responsive to a pressure influence of a substantially predetermined degree for opening the valve to render the secondary accessory operative and in the absence of such pressure influence to close the valve to render such secondary accessory inoperative whereby the primary accessory is given a preference over the secondary accessory.

ERWIN C. HORTON. 

